On Thurs., Feb. 12, Trinidad Chambliss won his court hearing against the NCAA in Oxford and was granted injunction and his 6th year of college eligibility in 2026, which I think is a step in the right direction, albeit a small one, for college football.

Let’s face it… the system is broken. We thought NIL was supposed to be the solution and the transfer portal was supposed to be a second chance for the overlooked college football player. Instead, the NCAA gave us a trainwreck of power gone too far and a system with zero regulations.

Through the nonsense though, justice was actually served for Trinidad Chambliss.

Unlike Diego Pavia or Joey Aguilar, Trinidad really deserved another year of eligibility. My standing? If years of JUCO or NAIA ball aren’t going to count against you, why should DII? Just because he was technically playing for an NCAA entity in Ferris State you’re going to tell him he can’t play? Not to mention the kid was sick for two years and didn’t even play in 2021 or 2022.

I don’t care how good Ferris State is or was. The NCAA dragged this ruling out for what? If it really is because they’re going to use years of DII against one guy and not years of JUCO against another then if you didn’t think it was too far gone you have more than enough evidence to think so now.

Luckily though, the old man in Knoxville got ruled against… another one of those small steps I’m talking about. I mean, Joey Aguilar has been in school since 2019 and played at two different JUCOs for four total years, not to mention another two at Appalachian State and his swansong at Tennessee last year. And to think the guy really believed he should have been granted another year of eligibility–laughable.

Sure, I can hear you out about redshirt and COVID years, but Trinidad didn’t even have a season cancelled by COVID, Joey did. Knoxville’s argument is just apples to Tennessee oranges.

Here is the thing about extra years of college. It has to be all or none. I am tired of the wishy-washy stuff we have been getting with weeks-long court cases and drama with NBA players trying to come back and play in college… It’s nonsense.

Now, if I’m going to defend Trinidad, I have to give my condolences to Sooner nation and Owen Heienecke because man… talk about a broken system, he can’t get a sixth year over three games of lacrosse he played five years ago?

But of course the Money Manziel wannabe Diego Pavia gets to play 53 career games and 6 almost-full seasons in college all to go out in embarrassing fashion and throw a conniption fit over the Heisman results, the kid just does it to himself… good riddance and welcome to the XFL Diego.

Even still, not only do guys like Trinidad get put through the wringer with this system, but high school athletes lose too. I feel like nobody even knew that National Signing Day was a month ago. It’s like nobody cares anymore, these high school kids aren’t getting any coverage because the media is too worried about who is going to enter the portal or take the NCAA to court next.

NSD used to be such a spectacle; think of those crazy moments of recruits flipping right there on national television, throwing all the hats out and throwing a complete curveball nobody expected. With the current landscape of college athletics, chances are, we may never get anymore of those Landon Collins or Travis Hunter moments again.

Enough with the complaining though, The Trinidad ruling is a major step in the right direction, not just because it was fair and right, but because Trinidad wants to win, and he wants to do it with the team that gave him a chance all the way from Division II.

You didn’t see Trinidad jump ship and run to LSU with Lane Kiffin, what you saw was him get behind his new coach Pete Goulding and the rest of the returning Rebels. He didn’t chase attention or enter the portal 5 times, he fought for another chance at glory.

Not only does the kid get one more shot at a National Title, but he is setting the right example for college football players in such a turbulent time. Like I said, steps in the right direction, but don’t let that make you think there isn’t a massive amount of work to be done to really fix the problems at hand.